7 Signs Your Hotel’s Website Needs an Upgrade
Is your website working the way you want it to? Is it generating bookings for you? How long have you had your current website? Is your site out of date?
If you’re thinking about any of these questions, it might be time for a hotel website upgrade.
In this article, we’ve put together seven signs your hotel’s website needs an upgrade. Check them out and see if these signs resonate with you.
#1: It’s Been Five Years
The gold standard for website redesign is five years. Why the five years?
This is because technology changes rapidly, and if your website is more than five years old, it could be that it’s outdated and needs an overhaul.
Some websites become outdated between three and five years, so it’s a good idea to start considering it in year three so you are definitely ready by year five.
What’s more, Google has changed the way it ranks websites over the last few years. To continue performing well in search engine results, you may need a hotel website upgrade.
#2: Your Website is Slow
How long does it take your website to load? Have you heard complaints from customers?
The longer it takes your website to load, the more you risk customers bouncing off to a competitor’s website.
Studies show that if your site loads within two seconds, your site will have an average bounce rate of around nine percent. Yet, if it takes five seconds for your website to load, your bounce rate approaches 40%.
If your site takes more than two or three seconds to load, it’s time to upgrade your website. Google rewards fast websites in search engine results, so it’s in your best interest to make sure your site is loading quickly. (tweet this)
#3: Your Theme is Outdated
How does your website look? Does it look old?
It could be that your theme is outdated, and it’s time for a refreshed, more modern look.
In today’s digital world, technology is always changing. If your theme is old and looks “old school,” then you want to look to the future.
For example, you might have a website that was trendy several years ago, but now it isn’t. Your website needs an upgrade.
Themes are constantly getting better and easier to use. It may be time to find a new theme and customize it for your website to give it a more modern look and appeal.
#4: Your Conversion Rate Dropped
Have your online orders slowed down? Have you noticed a drop in your website traffic through Google Analytics?
If your leads and conversions have slowed down, and your website visits are less than they used to be, it may be time for a website upgrade.
Drops in website traffic, leads, and conversions may mean your site needs new photos, new contacts, and a better overall user experience.
#5: Your Website Isn’t Mobile Friendly
First, we most certainly hope this isn’t the case. Websites that don’t resolve well on desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets are in dire need of a website upgrade.
If your website isn’t responsive, you want to immediately move to change it. Google at this point will penalize your hotel website for not being mobile-friendly. And with most people searching for hotels on their smartphones, you can’t afford to have a non-responsive, non-mobile-friendly website.
Improve the users’ experience on your website and make it easier for them to get around and click to what they want by updating your website today.
Increase your hotel website’s performance with a mobile-friendly website, and you will definitely notice the results.
#6: Your Website is Hard to Navigate
Website navigation and the overall user experience has never been more important.
Your website visitors land on your website to find your location, hours, phone number, and make a reservation. If they can’t find these things easily, they’ll not only leave your website, but they won’t visit your hotel.
Customers are coming to your website to see photos of your rooms and your amenities. They want to know why they should stay at your property. If they can’t find this, you’ll lose them.
How do you know if your site is easy to navigate? First, you can try it yourself. Second, you could have a friend or family member who has never visited your website try it.
Finally, you can go to Google Analytics and see how long your website visitors spend on each page. If it’s just a few seconds, it may be because they can’t find what they are looking for.
If it’s hard to navigate your website, and visitors can’t easily book a room, it’s time to upgrade your hotel website. You’ll not only increase bookings, but you’ll set the tone for a great stay at your hotel. (tweet this)
#7: It’s Hard to Update Your Website
In years past, you created a website, and there it sat. It was a nice brochure for your hotel.
Today, that is no longer the case. Your hotel website should be an active, dynamic place on the internet. It should be easy to post blogs, add recent photos and video, and create additional content.
That being said, how easy is it for you to update your hotel website? If the answer is that it’s pretty difficult, you want to upgrade it.
You want it to be easy to update your website so you can do it often and as needed. It’s vital that you add fresh content on a consistent basis, and if it’s hard to do this, an upgrade is what you need.
Final Thoughts
So, after reading through the seven signs your hotel’s website needs an upgrade, are you ready to take the plunge?
Your website is a pivotal piece of your overall marketing strategy. Nearly all of your digital marketing points back to your website. In fact, your traditional marketing does as well.
Web searches send visitors to your hotel website. Your site is generally the first interaction your hotel has with potential customers.
So, it’s vital that you put time and energy into making your most prominent and important marketing tool the best it can be.
If it’s time for a hotel website upgrade, you are in the right place. At Hotel Propeller, we are here for you to help you refresh your online presence and take your online conversion center to the next level.
We are your hotel’s digital advertising specialists and can help you position your hotel for success. As experts in website design, we can create a new website that converts for you. And, we can also help with search engine marketing, online booking, online listings, and social media marketing, we are here to help. Contact us today to start a conversation about your digital advertising needs.
Images: Anmol Seth and Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
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